Braking structure for a scooter

ABSTRACT

A scooter has a braking structure comprising a footboard, a pivoting member for pivotally mounting the footboard on the scooter base, and a recovery member enabling the footboard to return to its original position. The footboard has a curved rear segment which is separated from the scooter rear wheel by a distance. As the curved rear segment is pressed by the foot heel of a rider of the scooter, the curved rear segment swivels on the pivoting member to press against the scooter rear wheel in motion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a scooter, and moreparticularly to a braking structure of the scooter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a prior art scooter 10 is providedwith a rear fender 11, which is disposed over the rear wheel 14 toprotect against splashing mud. The pivoting portion of the rear fender11 is provided with a spring 12 and a shaft 13, which enable the rearfender 11 to make contact with the rear wheel 14 so as to slow down orstop the rear wheel 14 in motion. In other words, the rear fender 11serves as a braking device of the scooter 10. The rear fender 11 can notserve effectively as a brake in view of the fact that the rear fender 11is apt to move aside at the time when it is pressed with the foot heelof a scooter rider. In addition, the service life span of the rearfender 11 is seriously shortened by the constant friction between therear fender 11 and the rear wheel 14.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide ascooter with a braking structure which is free of the drawbacks of thescooter braking device of the prior art described above.

[0005] In keeping with the principle of the present invention, heforegoing objective of the present invention is attained by a scooterbraking structure comprising a curved footboard, a footboard pivotingmember, and a footboard recovering member. The footboard is pivoted witha scooter base such that the rear segment of the footboard is curvedupward away from the rear wheel of the scooter, thereby resulting in aspace between the curved rear segment of the footboard and the rearwheel. As the rear segment is exerted on by an appropriate externalforce to move downward to press against the rear wheel in motion, thescooter is slowed down or stopped. As soon as the rear segment of thecurved footboard is relieved of the external force exerting thereon, thefootboard is provided by the footboard recovering member with a recoveryforce to help the footboard return to its original position.

BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of scooter braking device of theprior art.

[0007]FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the prior art scooterbraking device in combination.

[0008]FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a scooter of the presentinvention.

[0009]FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a braking structure of thescooter of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of the braking structure of thescooter of the present invention in combination.

[0011]FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of the braking structure of thescooter of the present invention in action.

[0012]FIG. 7 shows another schematic side view of the braking structureof the scooter of the present invention in action.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 3-7, a scooter embodied in the presentinvention comprises an upright steering set 27, a base 20 fastened atthe front end with the bottom portion of the upright steering set 27,and a footboard 21 mounted on the base 20.

[0014] The scooter of the present invention further comprises a brakingstructure which is formed of the footboard 21, a footboard pivotingmember 24, and a recovery member 25.

[0015] The footboard 21 has a curved rear segment, which curves upwardaway from a rear wheel 26 pivoted to the rear end of the base 20. Thecurved rear segment of the footboard 21 is separated from the rear wheel26 by an appropriate space. The footboard 21 is provided in theunderside of the midsegment thereof with a plurality of reinforcing ribs23, and in the underside between the reinforcing ribs 23 and the curvedrear segment with a plurality of pivoting pieces 22.

[0016] The pivoting member 24 is formed of a pivot 24 and a nut. Thefootboard 21 is pivotally mounted on the base 20 by the pivoting member24 in conjunction with the pivoting pieces 22.

[0017] The recovery member 25 is fastened with the front end of thefootboard 21 and is formed of a retaining rod 31, a spring 28, a washer29, and a nut 30. The front end of the footboard 21 is provided with aprotruded block 211 having a locating hole 213. The front end of thefootboard 21 is further provided with a round through hole 212. The base20 is provided at the front end with a through hole 201 corresponding inlocation to the round through hole 212 of the footboard 21. Theretaining rod 31 has a retaining end 311 and a fastening end 312. Therecovery member 25 is mounted on the front end of the footboard 21 suchthat the retaining end 311 is retained in the locating hole 213 of theprotruded block 211, and that the fastening end 312 is engaged with thefastening nut 30 via the round through hole 212 of the footboard 21 andthe through hole 201 of the base 20, and further that the spring 28 andthe washer 29 are fitted over the retaining rod 31.

[0018] In operation, when the curved rear segment of the footboard 21 ispressed by the foot heel of a rider of the scooter of the presentinvention, the curved rear segment is forced to swivel on the pivot 24,so as to press against the rear wheel 26 in motion, thereby resulting inthe braking effect to slow down or stop the scooter. In light of arelatively large area of the curved rear segment of the footboard 21,the friction area between the curved rear segment of the footboard 21and the rear wheel 26 is relatively large to prevent the drawbacks ofthe scooter braking device of the prior art.

[0019] It must be noted here that the curved rear segment of thefootboard may be provided with a stabilizing piece (not shown in thedrawings) for stabilizing the curved rear segment in action.

What is claimed is:
 1. A braking structure of a scooter, said brakingstructure comprising: a footboard having a curved rear segment curvingin a direction away from a rear wheel which is pivoted to the rear endof a base of the scooter, said curved rear segment being separated fromthe rear wheel by a distance, said footboard provided in an undersidewith a plurality of pivoting pieces fastened therewith; a pivotingmember formed of a pivot and a nut which is engaged with said pivot,said footboard being pivotally mounted on the base of the scooter inconjunction with said pivoting pieces such that said curved rear segmentswivels on said pivot in a direction toward the rear wheel of thescooter as such time when said curved rear segment of said footboard isexerted on by an external force of a magnitude; and a recovery memberfastened with a front end of said footboard to provide said footboardwith a recovery force enabling said footboard to return to an originalposition thereof.
 2. The braking structure as defined in claim 1,wherein said curved rear segment of said footboard is provided with astabilizing piece for stabilizing the braking effect of said curved rearsegment.
 3. The braking structure as defined in claim 1, wherein saidfootboard is provided in a front end with a protruded block having alocating hole, said footboard further provided in the front end with around through hole; wherein said recovery member is formed of aretaining rod, a spring fitted over said retaining rod, a washer fittedover said retaining rod, and a nut engaged with a fastening end of saidretaining rod whereby said recovery member is mounted on the front endof said footboard such that a retaining end of said retaining rod isretained in said locating hole of said protruded block, and that saidfastening end of said retaining rod is engaged with said nut via saidround through hole of said footboard and a through hole of the base ofthe scooter.